§ Mr. Hawksleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will arrange for large notices to be displayed in post offices explaining the arrangements made to overcome the problems created by the strike of the civil servants in his Department.
§ Mr. NewtonFour separate posters on our emergency arrangements have been supplied to post offices. These have advised pensioners, widows and child benefit recipients what to do if their renewal order books are not available. They also explain how claims for social security benefits should be made during the disruption and describe the action that is being taken to ensure that pensioners and other beneficiaries who are being paid on the stubs of order books which have run out will get the uprating increases due next month.
Additionally, our emergency arrangements have been publicised in the national press at frequent intervals throughout the dispute.